How to watch US Open Tennis 2018 live online from anywhere

Do you want to watch the US Open online? In this post, we’ll explain where you can live stream the entire 2018 US Open tennis tournament, no matter where you are in the world. On vacation? No problem — we’ll show you how a Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows you to bypass regional restrictions and use your regular streaming services from abroad.

The 138th US Open event will take place from August 27 until September 9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. We don’t currently know what time the matches will start, but sessions are set to start at 4 PM and 12 AM BST (8 AM and 4 PM PST / 11 AM and 7 PM EST). Finalized start times will be made available August 20, just before the qualification phase. We do, however, know where you can watch all the action live; take a look below to find your country’s official US Open broadcaster.

This article will only be recommending official sources. While high-profile sporting events are almost always shown on unlicensed streams, it’s important to realize that these usually offer laggy, low-resolution video and are prone to being taken down mid-match. With official broadcasters all over the world, many of which offer a free trial period, there’s no reason to use unsanctioned, unreliable streams.

VPNs are among the easiest ways to stay safe when streaming or unblock geo-restricted platforms from abroad. We recommend ExpressVPN: it boasts excellent multi-platform support, has high-speed servers in 94 different countries, and is capable of unblocking even the most stubborn streaming platforms, including BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

You can get started with ExpressVPN in just a couple of minutes. Simply decide how long you’d like to subscribe for (one, six, or twelve months), then complete the payment process. With a 30-day money-back guarantee, you’re then free to trial the service by watching the entire 2018 US Open. If you’re unsatisfied, you can cancel during this period and receive a full refund.

How to watch the US Open with a VPN

Even if you’ve never used a VPN before, bypassing a platform’s geo-restriction is very simple:

First of all, choose a suitable VPN. We mentioned ExpressVPN above, but you might also want to consider NordVPN and CyberGhost, two low-cost alternatives.

Download the VPN client software. There will be a few different versions, so make sure you get the right one for your operating system.

Choose one of the official US Open broadcasters from the list below.

Connect to a server in the appropriate country. For instance, you’d use a US server to unblock ESPN, or a British one for Amazon Prime Video.

Try to load content from your chosen platform. It should play almost immediately. Note: you may have to refresh the page first.

Remember to run through the steps above before the US Open actually begins. This way, if you run into any problems, there’ll be plenty of time to contact your VPN’s customer support team for help.

Where to watch the US Open online

The 2018 US Open tennis tournament is being shown in more than 200 countries, so it’s extremely likely that you’ll be able to watch in your native language. Below, we’ll explain how you can catch every second of the event live, wherever you are.

USA, Mexico, South and Central America

You can watch the entire 2018 US Open on ESPN Player (or ESPN International if you’re outside of the United States). You’ll need to sign in using cable provider credentials to access the live stream. If you’re outside the above countries, you’ll get an error message:

“Sorry. ESPN Player is not currently available in your region. If you have an account on ESPN Player and have recently changed location, or need to cancel your account, please email support@espnplayer.com. For more information, please read our FAQ pages.”

In this case, you can spoof your location by connecting to a US (or other appropriate country) VPN server and then log in as normal using your cable credentials.

If your cable package doesn’t include ESPN, don’t worry – you can also watch on Sling TV, YouTube TV, or ESPN+. ESPN+ is an over-the-top service costing $4.99 USD per month or $49.99 annually. It can be installed on iOS, Android, ChromeCast, and Apple TV devices. Best of all, it comes with a one-week trial. While this isn’t long enough to watch every match, it will enable you to stream almost half of the US Open tennis games for free.

The Tennis Channel will have free-to-watch previews and highlights, although you won’t be able to watch matches live.

UK

There’s just one US Open broadcaster in the UK: Amazon. Amazon Prime subscribers can watch every match live on Amazon Prime Video. This costs £79.99 a year, but includes a 30-day free trial. By signing up and canceling once the event is finished, you can stream the US Open for free.

Canada

Canadian viewers can catch the 2018 US Open on either TSN or RDS. Both services are showing every event live, but you can only watch for free if your cable package includes either TSN or RDS. If it doesn’t, or if you don’t have cable, you can subscribe directly for $24.99 CAD per month. There’s no free trial, however, so be sure to register as close to the event as possible. This ensures your one-month subscription will cover the entire US Open.

TSN will have English-language coverage, while RDS will have French commentary.

Europe

Eurosport holds exclusive US Open broadcasting rights in most of Europe. It will be showing every single event live across 54 European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Russia. Prices vary based on location, but generally, you can expect to pay between five and ten euros per month.

Each country will have commentary in its native language, with some locations offering English commentary as a secondary option.

Middle East/ North Africa

beIN Sports is showing the 2018 US Open tennis across the Middle East and North Africa. Prices are slightly different from one country to another, but a one-month subscription tends to cost around $18 USD. It’s important to note that coverage will only be available in Arabic.

Sub-Saharan Africa

SuperSport will be showing the events live in all sub-Saharan African countries. However, while selected content is available to watch for free, the majority is only accessible to DStv subscribers. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, it’s highly likely that the US Open will be subscriber-only also.

It’s not possible to register for DStv online, as it asks for an ID number or local phone number. However, if you’re a DStv subscriber and currently in a different country, you can still watch SuperSport online by using one of your VPN’s South African servers.

Although SuperSport sometimes broadcasts in Afrikaans, the US Open will only be covered in English.

Asia

Tennis fans in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines can stream the 2018 US Open live on FOX+. In most cases, you can contact your cable provider to sign up, but if you’re in the Philippines, you can also subscribe via the Google Play Store or iTunes.

FOX+ was unable to provide us with its coverage languages but confirmed that subtitles will only be available for replays after each match has ended. It was also noted that said replays will only be accessible for “a very short period of time.”

India

In India, you’ll be able to follow the US Open tennis matches on Hotstar. This service costs Rs. 199 a month, but you can get an annual pass for Rs. 999. Currently, there are no details regarding whether matches will be shown live, or on-demand afterward. Every subscription comes with a free one-month trial, so you can use Hotstar to watch the entire 2018 US Open for free, as long as you remember to cancel before the trial ends.

Australia

In Australia, you can watch every moment of the US Open live on ESPN. Unfortunately, Australian viewers don’t have access to ESPN+, so you’ll need either a Fetch or Foxtel subscription first.

If you don’t have either of these services, you can watch every match from the quarter-finals onwards for free on SBS. You should note that these will only be available on TV, not streamed live online. You may be able to watch the events on catch-up the following day, however.

Japan

Japanese viewers can follow all of the action on WOWOW, for ¥2300 a month. Unfortunately, only on-demand content can be watched online. There is currently no official online US Open live stream for Japan.

2018 US Open tennis schedule

Can I stream the US Open with a free VPN?

Free VPN services can seem tempting at first glance, but we strongly advise against their use. Due to smaller server networks and a greater number of users, you can expect stuttering video that takes forever to load, and possibly even sporadic disconnections. This would be annoying for any streaming, but with a live event, you run the risk of missing an important moment. Further, some free VPNs have monthly data caps, so even if you can watch one match, you may not be able to stream the rest.

Servers and hosting are expensive, but as free VPNs can’t charge their users directly, they’ve had to find other ways to create revenue. Sometimes, they’ll inject ads into the sites you visit, but that’s not their only tactic. By using tracking cookies, these services can monitor your activities even after you disconnect. This enables them to build a consumer profile which can then be sold to a third party without your knowledge.

Finally, there’s the risk that free VPNs pose to your system. One 2016 study showed that dozens of free “VPN” apps didn’t actually encrypt any traffic, and that many simply attempted to install malware onto the user’s device. It’s not just little-known free VPNs that pose a threat, however: we’ve even seen a high-profile free VPN sell user bandwidth to be used in a botnet. To keep yourself safe online, we recommend using a reputable service with a proven record of protectings its users’ privacy.

Who is expected to play well in the US Open?

After winning Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic is a strong contender for the US Open men’s singles title. He’s been performing very well lately, reaching the quarter-finals in the French Open. However, he noticeably struggled against Rafael Nadal; another highly accomplished fan-favorite. And then there’s Roger Federer, last year’s winner. He’s still at the top of his game and capable of holding his own for hours against the best players in the world.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray will be competing, despite recovering from a long-term hip injury sustained last year. He’s certainly a capable athlete, having held the world number one spot for over 40 weeks, but with exhaustion forcing him to pull out of the Citi Open, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to go the distance during the US Open.

The women’s competition will be even closer. Serena Williams is looking to add a 73rd trophy to her growing collection, but she’s only the favorite by a slim margin. Angelique Kerber, three-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, is a close second, with the current world champion, Simona Halep, likely to make it to the semi-finals at least. It’s worth noting that while Kerber has beaten Williams before, she was beaten fairly readily by Halep during the French Open.